A positive herpes simplex virus type 1 antibody IgG does not mean that the patient is currently infectious. The herpes simplex virus is divided into type 1 and type 2, with type 1 mainly causing things like oral and facial herpes, while type 2 can cause genital herpes, which can of course be caused by herpes simplex virus type 1 infection. However, a positive IgG antibody alone can only determine if the patient has been infected with the herpes simplex virus, not whether the patient is currently infected or has been infected before. Generally, to determine whether a patient is currently infected, it is important to look at the combination of a positive or negative IgM. If the patient is positive for both IgG and IgM, it means that the patient is currently in the infectious stage and is infectious, but if the patient is only positive for IgG and negative for IgM, it means that the patient has been infected before and is not currently in the infectious stage and is not infectious.